Thomas barnes



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

T BARNES. SAFETY VAULT FOR BANKS. No. 554,411. Patented Feb. 11, 1896. J

'INVENTOI) BYWM J W A TTORNE YS.

I ATTORNEYS.

INVENTOI? flw 2 Sheets-Shet 2.

Patented Feb. 11,

(No mam.

,T. BARNES.

,SAFETY VAULT FOR BANKS. No. 554,411..

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THOMAS BARNES, OF RAVVLTNS, WVYOMING, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNMAHONEY, OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY-VAU LT FO R BAN KS.

SPEGIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,411, dated February1 1, 1896.

Application filed April 6, 1895. Serial No. 544,773. (No model-) To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS BARNES, of Rawlins, in the county of Carbonand State of \Vyoming, have invented a new and Improved Safety-Vault forBanks and other Purposes, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates to an' improved safety-vault for the protectionof valuables, which may be located within a building or be erected as anindependent structure.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction of the vault and itssupports, and also consists in the combination of parts, as ishereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement erected exterior of abuilding. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the improvement onits supports, and which may be erected within a bank or other building,

the roof of the vault being partly broken away. Figs. 3, 4, and 5represent details of the supporting-frame preferably employed to sustainthe improved vault. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the metal supporting-framefor the vault. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view of one form of the vaultand connected parts on the line 7 7 in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a perspectiveview of a building wherein the vault structure is located, and which isexposed to view through glazed windows of the building; and Fig. 9 is aperspective view of a slightly-changed construction of the vault.

The improvement in brief consists in the provision of a burglar and fireproof vault, which may contain one or a plurality of compartments, andthe erection of the vault structure on an upright skeleton framesufliciently elevated from the ground or floor of a building to exposethe lower side of the vault, the vault being built on a network ofhorizontal floor-beams that are tied together and held engaged withtheir supports by novel means.

The invention also comprises a gallery that completely encompasses thevault and is sustained by the same supports, the said gallery,

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that a plurality of uprightcolumns 10 are erected on a substantial foundation, (not shown,) thesaid columns being preferably arranged as shown, and represent thevertices of a polygonal figure produced by joining all the columns withI-beams 11.

There can be six, eight or more columns 10 used; but for economy inconstruction six of said columns may be used to advantage, and this isindicated in the drawings.

The upper ends of the columns 10 are furnished with dovetail sockets 10as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, for the reception of d0vetailed tonguesformed on the ends of the I- beams 11, as clearly represented in Fig. 4.In Fig. 6 other I-beams 12 are shown, which are interlocked bydovetailed connections with the columns 10, intermediate of thepolygonally-arranged beams 11, and the beams 12, radiating from a commoncenter, are tied together by the bolts 13, which are adapted to bind allthe beams in place and stiffen the structure that is produced, asdescribed.

At a proper distance from the columns 10 a series of I-beams 1 1 areheld parallel with the beams 11 by bolted connections 14, as shown inFig. 6, these concentrically-arranged beams 14 conducing to render thefloor-support more substantial and provide base whereon the preferablymasonry Wall 15 may be erected.

The columns 10 and polygonally-arranged beams 11 are supported by braces10 that respectively engage their ends with sockets formed on or securedto the columns and beams, which will render the framework complete andextremely strong in all its parts.

The wall 15 is rendered fireproof in any suitable manner and is given asufficient height required for the product-ion of the Vault. It is ofadvantage to give the contour of the wall 15 the same shape in plan asthat of the polygonal frame whereon the wall is located, and, ifdesired, the interior space bounded by said wall may be divided into anumber of compartments 15, each having a door pro duced in its wall toafford access to each section of the vault, this formation of the vaultappearing in Fig. 9.

A series of spaced posts 16 is located one at each corner of theexterior polygonal frame formed of the lower columns 10 and I-beams 11,these vertical posts being adapted to receive and retain in position thevertical glass plates 17, which when in place afford walls for theinclosure of a gallery, the floor of which is produced by suitablycovering the beams 12 with fireproof u'lateriahand it should also bementioned that this floor is treated in a like manner with any propersubstance that will be difficult to penetrate and that is fireproof ormeasurably so.

The vault-wall 15 should have a very substantial cover imposed on it andsecured in place by such means as will prevent its displacement byrobbers.

An exterior roof 18 is located on the posts 16 and is preferablyelevated at the center, pitching toward the lower and outer edges ofeach section of the ro0f-that is, for convenience in construction andarchitectural harmony of appearance, made pyramidal, having an equalnumber of sides with the gallery it covers. The several sides of theroof 18 may be and preferably are interiorly lined with mirrors, asindicated at 18, and it will be of advantage to convert into mirrorsportions of the glazed vertical wall 17 if near another structure-as,for instance, adjacent to an interior wall of a building in which thevault may be placed.

From the elevated position given to the vault and the provision of thegallery surrounding said vault, together with the glass side walls andmirror-plates lining the roof of the entire structure, it will beevident that a watchman or passer-by in the street will be enabled tosee all sides of the vault, in daylight and at night, as it is to beunderstood that provision is to be made for the brilliant illuminationof the gallery in a manner that cannot be tampered with by evil-disposedpersons.

It is obvious that by providinglocks for the doors of the vault of suchconstruction as will consume time in opening them entrance to the vaultwill be prevented, if ordinary precaution is had by the watchman, or bypeople passing the vault, which vault may be either within abank-building, as shown in Fig. 8, be erected outside such building, orbe independent of any other structure, if preferred.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A burglar-proof vault, comprising a burglar andfire proof structure, an elevated supportin g-frame therefor, and aglazed inclosure for the vault, substantially as described.

2. A burglar proof vault, comprising a vaultinclosure built on anelevated frame support, an inclosing gallery having a glass side wall,and a centrally-elevated roof covering the vault and gallery,substantially as described.

In a burglar-proof vault, the combination with a frame supported on aseries of columns, of a vault-inclosure having a door, a surroundinggallery the side wall of which is transparent, the said galleryaffording access to the vault-door, apitched roof covering the vault andgallery without touching the vault, and mirrors on the inner face of theroof, substantially as described.

4. In a burglar-proof vault and support therefor, the elevated framestructure, comprising a series of columns a series of beams interlockedwith the tops of the columns and arranged in polygonal. form, transversefloorbeams interlocked at their ends with the columns intermediate ofthe marginal beams, and bound together where they join byclamping-bolts, and beams affording a base for the vault-wall andsecured in parallel planes with and respectively opposite thepolygonally-arranged marginal beams, substantially as described.

THOMAS BARNES.

\Vitnesses:

JAs. M. RUMsEY, Jr., MORGAN M. MAGHEE.

